NBPTS Standards - Proposition 3 Artifact 3a: Student Case Study - Jennifer Standard: Teachers are Responsible for Managing

and Monitoring Student Learning. Rationale: The goal of Writers Workshop is to remind the teacher what its like to be a student. All to often we loose sight of the big picture, getting lost and caught up in the end result instead of the process. Starting from scratch allows the individual to focus their attention on the multiple steps associated with writing, that when put together contribute to a final, comprehensive and articulate piece. Reflection: Writers Workshop has forced me to examine me own teaching practices and expectations for students. I have a tendency to get caught up in the need for students to produce massive amounts of written work and forget about the process itself. As I move forward with my students and instructional practices I will emphasize the need for quality writing and focus less on the quantity of work produced. I will no longer assume that students know how to do something just because they should. Instead, I will model proper writing strategies and techniques so that students have a clearer understanding of my expectations. In addition to this, I will use more peer editing methods with students. I feel that students will appreciate one anothers work more if they get immediate and direct feedback from one another. Finally, I would like to set aside more time for writing. Students need to practice. When we set out to run a marathon we dont wake up one morning and slip on our shoes and run the race. We practice and train each day in order be successful and attain our goals - the same is true with writing. If students are to improve as both writers and critical thinkers they must have the ability to train and practice their skills on a consistent basis.